iHave the Strangest Feeling
by Frannabelle
Summary: Inspired by the song "Lately" by Stevie Wonder. Sam jumps to some conclusions. Seddie.
1. Chapter 1

Sam-centric; slightly future-fic. Seddie.

**Summary**: Inspired by the song "Lately" by Stevie Wonder. Sam jumps to some conclusions.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing. It seems pretty obvious to me, but just to be on the safe side….

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iHave the Strangest Feeling

Chapter 1

"Aw, Spence, are you ready to go yet?" Carly paced the floor behind the couch, her impatience evident in the tone of her voice.

"Yeah, I'll be out in a sec!" he called out from his bedroom. A moment later, he stepped out, and grabbed his jacket from the coat tree. Pulling the jacket on, Spencer asked, "So, what're we supposed to be getting again?"

"I _told_ you, Christmas presents for Sam and Freddie. Freddie and Mrs. Benson are at some mother/son class, and Sam went straight home after school today, so I wanna take advantage of them not being around."

"Hmm, that is a rare occurrence." Spencer walked over to the kitchen counter and grabbed his car and house keys. As he passed Carly to pull open the door, he asked, "And, what about a present for meeee?"

"Already taken care of," she answered with an air of confidence.

"Reeaally?" he asked excitedly. Spencer quickly glanced around, now distracted from leaving the loft. "Is it here somewhere?"

"Come on, cut it out. We don't have time for this," Carly insisted. She playfully swatted him on the arm and continued, "And anyway, you'll have to wait 'til Christmas for it." She headed for the door and added with a sly smile, "Actually, you'll have to wait until the day after."

"What? Why?"

"Thaaat's all I have to say about it," Carly sing-songed.

"Ugh! That's so mean of you." Spencer reached the door, and turned towards Carly, his lips scrunched up in a child-like pout.

"You won't think so on the twenty-siiixth..." In retaliation for her teasing, Spencer grabbed her and started poking her sides. Carly screeched, and tried to quickly pull away from him. "Ack! No tickling!" she yelled. "I won't tell you what it is! I won't tell!" A knock jarred the door. Spencer's and Carly's eyes shot up at it and they stilled their movements. Spencer released Carly, and she went to answer the door. "Saved by the knock," she said with relief. Carly straightened out her shirt, and pulled the door open to reveal Sam waiting on the other side. Sam strode in, making a bee-line for the kitchen.

"Oh, hey," Carly said following her, "what're you doing here?"

"Are you serious? I'm always here," Sam stated.

"That is true," Spencer added.

"Ooh, you have cookies!"

"Gee, Sam, would you like a cookie?" Carly chuckled.

"I'm pretty sure I'll have 'em all." Sam stuffed a Christmas Tree-shaped cookie into her mouth.

"I looked for you after school, but Gibby said he saw you leave with your mom."

"Yeah, she needed me to sit in the car while she went to pay our cable bill; there's never any parking downtown," Sam replied. She lifted a star-shaped cookie off the plate. "Hey, is it okay if I order a movie?" Sam quickly devoured the cookie, same as she had the one before it. She set the plate back down on the kitchen counter and headed for the refrigerator. Sam opened the refrigerator and retrieved the milk carton from one of the shelves on the door.

"Why can't you just watch something at your place?"

"Carls, my mom just paid the bill...And, she usually post-dates the check." Sam opened the cabinet above the sink and got a glass. She poured the milk into the glass all the way up to the rim.

"Of course she does," Carly dead-panned.

"So, _you_ wanna pick out the movie?" she asked, headed back towards the living room. She picked up the plate of cookies on her way past the counter. Sam slowed as she passed Carly, the action was imperceptible to her friend, but Sam noted the now familiar fragrance Carly had been wearing for the past several days. She wasn't fond of it, but never said anything – not before, and not now; Sam continued moving towards the couch.

"Well...actually, we were just about to leave," Carly said. She looked from Sam to Spencer and back to Sam.

"Where're you guys going?" Sam asked surprised.

"Well, no place special," she began, looking pointedly at Spencer. "We're just gonna go to the mall."

The look was not missed by Sam. "Will you be back soon?" Concern seemed to shadow Sam's face, and it disarmed Carly.

"Uh...I don't know." Carly looked at Spencer, who's only response was to shrug, and back to Sam. "I guess – well, you can come with us."

"Nah, it's okay. I'll just wait 'til you get back." Sam was mildly suspicious of the siblings, but masked any discomfort.

"It could be a while."

"I don't have any money. Besides, if I get tired of waiting, I'll just leave. It's fine."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I have this fine plate of cookies, Pay To Watch at my disposal; what else could a girl want? Go ahead. Have a good time."

"Well, okay." Carly and Spencer headed out, but not before Carly reminded Sam to not use the stove.

"Ugh! Geez, it was just that one time."

"Yeah, and Lewbert made sure that the landlord put that new clause in our lease." She glared at Spencer, who was already waiting for her out in the hall, "Four fires in four years."

"Okay, okay. I won't use the stove," Sam acquiesced, hands up in mock surrender. "Bye," she said as Carly pulled shut the door.

She could hear Spencer's muffled voice say, "Only three of those were mine..."

And, then she was alone.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Instead of renting a movie, Sam heads upstairs to Carly's room after finishing the whole plate of cookies. She loves what they did with it; although, it makes her sad to think that everything Carly once had, all the furniture and clothes that – if they could talk – could tell stories a mile long about their friendship, were all gone.

She carefully examines Carly's new things. Fingertips gently gliding over furniture tops and fabric. Sam made her way over to the foot of the bed and hopped onto the mini-trampoline. She jumped up and down all smiles.

"_I wanna try it!"_

"_No, no, no, no, no, Sam! Sam, wait for me to get - "_

"_Ooh!"_

"_C'mon, man!"_

She hops back onto the floor landing in front of the new mechanized closet. She punches in the code to open the sliding door, and sifts through Carly's clothes. She comes away with a few dresses and holds them up to her body while she looks at herself in the mirror. She begins to pick at her image, critiquing what she sees as her flaws. Her nose. A scratch on her shoulder from wrestling with Frothy the other night in the living room. An old scar on her thigh from the branch Frankie Murkin had been holding onto for support that cut her on his way down that time he fell out of that tree. She can see the outline of her hips from behind the dress she's holding, and frowns. She doesn't fit into any of Carly's clothes anymore, except for the t-shirts and pajama pants, and those are snug. Carly's clothes make her feel unattractive. Carly's clothes make her feel…different.

"_Whaddya think of this sweater?"_

"_Melanie has one just like it in pink….It suits you."_

"_Okay then, I'm gonna get it."_

"_Hey, Fredhead. Carly's payin'. Next, we can hit one of your stores. What'll it be: 'World Wide Weird', or 'Nerds R' Us'?"_

"_Ha, ha, ha, Sam. I don't care where we go as long as it's not 'Build-A-Bra' or 'Glitter Gloss'. Hey, how about the Food Court for a snack? It's been at least twenty minutes since you last ate."_

"_Yeah, okay. You buyin'?"_

"_Don't I always?"_

"_Yup. That's because you know what's good for you."_

"_So, what'd Carly get?"_

"_A pair of jeans and a yellow sweater."_

"_How come you didn't get anything?"_

"_That's not my kinda store. None of that stuff looks good on me."_

"_What about that? The skirt in the window."_

"_A skirt?"_

"_Well, yeah."_

"_That skirt?"_

"_What? It's not obscene or anything. And…you have nice legs. It's just above the knee on that mannequin, and she's just about the same…build…as you. The blouse is nice, too."_

"_Whatever."_

"_I'm just saying…I think you'd look nice in something like that."_

"_Carly's coming….Finally."_

Sam puts the dresses back and moves over to the vanity. She finds Carly's new perfume and spritzs some of it on herself. She still doesn't like it.

"_Hey, Dorkbrain, what're you getting Carly for Christmas?"_

"_I was thinking of getting her perfume. Why?"_

"_I was just wondering."_

She opens the top drawer and finds some photos that Carly has left unorganized. Sam and Freddie, in the advent of all the new technology available, have both welcomed displaying their precious photos of family and friends on their laptops and cell phones. But, Carly still scrapbooks and puts albums together. Before the fire destroyed them, Carly could be found any given weekend adding to ones she'd had since Sam can remember knowing her. Carly thinks they're _"traditional, and anyway, that's just what girls do, Sam."_ Sam finds a photo of the three of them that she recognizes as having been taken just a few weeks ago.

"_Hey guys, check out my new camera."_

"_Wow, it's nice. Let's break it in by taking a picture of the three of us. Look over there, we can ask that couple to take it."_

"_Excuse me, would you take a picture of the three of us?"_

"_Yeah, sure! Say, aren't you guys from that webshow, 'iCarly'?"_

"_Yeah, you've seen it?"_

"_Yeah, we have! Carly, I just wanna say, you're even prettier in person."_

"_Oh, well thanks."_

"_Do I just press this button?"_

"_Yup, that one right there."_

"_Okay, ready? Say, 'cheese'."_

"_Cheese!"_

"_Thanks."_

"_Sure, no problem. See ya!"_

"_Gosh, she was soooo pretty."_

"_So was the other one."_

"_Yeah, I guess…."_

"_Lemme see it, Fredlumps."_

"_Here."_

"_They were really nice, huh? I'm gonna go get a refill. Either of you want another smoothie?"_

"_No, thanks."_

"_I'm not done with mine yet, maybe in a little while."_

"_Okay. B-R-B"_

"_She looks prettier – either way."_

"_Who?"_

"_Carly."_

"_Are you talking about what that girl said?"_

"_Yeah."_

"_Well…the guy thought you were pretty, too."_

"_Gee, maybe I should go ask him out then."_

"_Gimme that. This is a good picture, Sam. You know, you're very photogenic."_

"_Yeah, right."_

"_Well, you are. But…"_

"_What?"_

"_I dunno…I think you look waaay prettier in person."_

In Carly's drawer beneath the photos, Sam finds hidden two tickets to see the Plain White T's for the twenty-sixth. There's a note attached from Tom Higginson that reads, "Here are the tickets you wanted, Carly. Can't wait to see you two again. 'Hope you're able to surprise him!"

Sam put the pictures back in the drawer on top of the tickets, and shut it. She stood for a few moments still looking at the closed drawer, and the deepest sadness began to well up inside of her. She was alone in the room, in the apartment, so she allowed herself this littlest of weaknesses, and a tear spilled over and down her cheek. She vaguely wondered when the couple would spring their new relationship on her, and what it would mean to their group dynamic. Soon they'd be thinking about college, and maybe leaving Seattle, whereas Sam had no such inclination. She was already feeling left out more and more lately, although to ask Carly, she'd say,_ "Nothing's changed."_

Sam was done for the day. She left Carly's room after looking around to make sure she'd returned everything to its place. She decided she was done waiting and wanted to leave. She couldn't fly down the stairs fast enough. Sam took a breath when she got to the front door. Even Pucketts know when to compose themselves. She pulled open the door and stepped out into the hall. She felt a little better, less contained. Sam wasn't claustrophobic, but imagined that this is what it felt like.

Freddie turned the corner headed for his apartment. Happening upon Sam as she was shutting the door of the Shays' apartment, he greeted her, "Hey."

Surprised to suddenly see him, she asked accusingly, "What're _you_ doing here?" and, eyed him up and down.

Freddie cocked an eyebrow at her question and answered, "I live here. You?"

"No, I mean, Carly and Spencer went to the mall. Why didn't you go with them?"

"I didn't know I was supposed to," he answered with a shrug. "I was out with my mom."

"Pottery Class?" Sam asked snidely.

"No!" he answered quickly. Then muttering under his breath, he added, "Basket Weaving...Why didn't _you_ go with them?"

Sam shrugged, "I dunno."

"Are you alright?" Freddie noticed a shiny trail on Sam's cheek; before he realized it, he'd begun to reach up to touch it, and said, "You look like you've been cry –"

Sam swatted at his hand, and turned away. "Watch it!" she yelled, slightly startling him.

"Sorry, sorry," he responded, quickly backing away a few inches. He waited for her to calm down, and they stood there letting the silent tension set in. Freddie watched her carefully. He had to say something, anything to get them out of this awkwardness. "So…are you leaving now?" he asked cautiously.

Sam turned back to him. She could tell that he was trying to diffuse the situation, and really, she wasn't that upset anymore, so she decided to use it to her benefit. "Depends. You got anything to eat?"

"In _our_ fridge? Nothing _you'd_ like. We could go over to the Groovy Smoothie, though. Lemme just leave my mom a note." He took out his key and opened the door. Sam followed only up to the doorway, and leaned against the doorjamb while watching him write out the note.

"Where's your mom, anyway?"

"She dropped me off after we got back from the class, and went to the store." Freddie pasted the note to the wall opposite the door so his mom would see it on her way in. "So, Blueberry Blitz or Strawberry Splat?"

"You buyin'?"

"Don't I always?"

"So, you don't mind?" she asked.

"Nah, not this time. It's Christmas. Consider it my gift," he answered with an air of generosity.

"That's a sucky gift."

"Yeah, I know. Get it?" Freddie chuckled, and jabbed Sam in the side with his elbow, "A 'sucky' gift?"

"I'm still gonna expect a real gift," Sam dead-panned. She hooked her arm into his, and walked down the hall towards the elevator with him.

Freddie had already gotten Sam's gift. They had all been shopping recently in an effort to replenish Carly's winter wardrobe, and he had seen an outfit he thought would look perfect on Sam. He'd pointed it out to her, and at first she seemed to dismiss it. But later, on their way back to the exit, they passed the same store window display, and Freddie had caught her staring at it as they walked by. He'd gone back to the store the very next day and bought both the skirt and the blouse. He knew it was a little self-serving, as he was really the one that wanted to see her in it, so he also picked her up a gift card for 'Build-A-Bra' and one for 'Inside Out Burger', just for good measure.

"Yeah, I know," he answered with a smirk. Freddie suddenly noticed something different about Sam, and turned towards her to lean over a little to sniff her hair. "Are you wearing Carly's perfume?"

"Yes," she answered stiffly.

"Hmm, it smells different on you. I like the one you usually wear better."

"Freddie, I don't usually wear perfume."

"Oh. Huh," he chuckled awkwardly. A slight blush crept up his cheeks. "Well….It was nice of her dad to send it to her from Norway." They arrived at the elevator bank, and Sam released Freddie's arm as he reached to press the call button.

"Norway?" Sam asked confused.

"Yeah, the perfume was an early Christmas present from her dad. He stopped in Norway a couple of weeks ago and had it sent to her. She wears it all the time now, haven't you noticed?"

"Yeah, _I have_, but…I thought _you_ gave it to her." The elevator came and they got on.

"Well, I thought about getting her some, but he beat me to it."

Sam pressed the button for the elevator to take them down to the lobby. "What're you getting her instead?"

"I don't know, maybe an accessory for her new camera."

"Oh yeah, that's a good idea," she replied, nodding her approval. _Unromantic_, Sam thought, but something Carly might need.

"What're you getting her?" Freddie asked.

"I was thinking of replacing some of her scrapbook supplies."

"Oh, that's good. With what we're getting her, she'll be all set for the Plain White T's Concert next week."

"Whaddya mean? _You know_ about that?" Sam asked, again confused.

"Yeah, she got tickets from them to surprise Spencer. And, you know how she is – she's gonna wanna take a whole lot of pictures with them backstage, and will probably make a whole big scrapbook of it." They'd reached the lobby, and headed out towards the Groovy Smoothie. "Since they're gonna be at the concert the day after Christmas, you wanna come ice skating with me?"

"Just us?"

"Yeah." He shrugged, "Why not?"

Sam looked up over Freddie's head. The sun was setting off to the side and behind him. She felt relieved, and light, and happy. She took his hand in hers and started swinging their arms. God, she felt like skipping. And, she'd never been _so_ glad to be in his company.

"You know what, Freddie? The smoothies are my treat today," she beamed.

"They are?" he asked in surprise.

"Shoosh yeah, you've put me in a _reeaally_ good mood."

The End

**A/N**: Please, please, please review. Pretty please? Review.


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